Dubai's Sharaf to hire 1,500 staff within 18 months

Sharaf Retail, the UAE-based firm behind brands such as Sharaf DG, Forever 21, Cotton On, Sanrio, Adventure HQ, Yellow Hat, YooMoo and Hello Kitty Spa is planning to hire 1,500 new staff over the next 18 months, the company has announced.

In order to find new employees to facilitate their expansion across the Middle East and Far East, the company has launched a dedicated recruitment website called www.tareeki.com, which was designed by Cazar, a recruitment marketing and technology solutions provider.

“We put a big emphasis on recruitment and are continuously looking for dynamic candidates who are passionate about what they do," Yasser Sharaf, MD of Sharaf Retail, said in a statement.

"This is why we have launched a comprehensive digital strategy aimed at targeting these individuals. With the addition of new brands to our portfolio, new store openings in existing markets and geographical expansion, we anticipate hiring approximately 1500 employees in the next 18 months.”

In late 2011, electronics retailers Sharaf DG said they planned to double its number of stores by 2016, as sales increased by 30 percent year-on-year at the time.

“Including the new Abu Dhabi store we have a total of 20 stores and that gives you around 350,000 sq ft of retail space. [We aim] to at least double that with the UAE and within the region in the next five years,” said Sharaf.

The retailer was also in talks to expand further outside of the UAE and hopes to open additional stores in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, said Sharaf.